Okay, this guy doesn’t faze me, but he would scare the dickens out of a novice cyclist…and probably has a long history of intimidating cyclists to ride in the gutter or through puddles just for his own convenience. The whole video is 45 seconds long. By speeding past me, he gains maybe 10 seconds.

The license plate looks like WA 405-XKF.

[edit: Thanks to Claire for the language correction of faze vs. phase.]

[edit 2: Upon more review of the footage, I am convinced that I have the license plate correct and thanks to RJL20 in the comments, we have an owner of the car who has a very poor driving history.]

It seems like drivers have been increasingly  commenting that since cyclists don’t pay the gas tax or pay for licensing their bicycles they shouldn’t be using the road at all; cyclists don’t “pay their fair share” in other words. Well then, how are our roadways (interstates, highways, and city streets) are funded? Roadway funding may differ slightly from city to city and region to region but generally the funding sources are similar across the country.

Bottom line, the “gas tax” and other “transportation taxes” do not pay the true costs of roadways. [1] [2] [4] [5] [6] [7] [9] [11] [16]

Let’s look at the funding of highway construction and maintenance first – from the “gas tax.” This “gas tax” does not come solely from a tax on gasoline. Of the total state/federal funding for highways in the western states, 33% of the total funding for highway construction and maintenance “gas tax” ($.0193/gallon of the total $0.583/gallon) comes from sources other than a direct tax on gasoline purchases; sales tax, gross receipts, oil inspection fees, county and local taxes, etc. contribute to the federal highway dollars distributed to each region. [1] [17]

Specific to WA State, when someone talks about fuel, or gas tax, ask them what kind of fuel. The gas tax is collected on not only motor vehicle fuel, but aircraft fuel, heating oil, natural gas, diesel and methanol [3] to name a few. If you fly, own a gas-powered lawn mower, motorcycle, off-road vehicle, etc. (some of which are subject to licensing fees which directly go to roadway construction and maintenance) you pay gas tax which directly pays for construction and maintenance of city, county and state roadways, the ferries, purchases right of way, traffic lights and signal maintenance, policing, and span bridge operations. [10]

Many purchasers of fuel in WA State are exempt or can take tax deductions from paying a fuel tax: off-highway vehicles (farm use), non-motive power uses (like generators), any motor vehicle belonging to Seattle Department of Transportation, or motor vehicles belonging to counties or municipalities, emergency vehicles, and more. Tribal purchases of gas are refundable up to 75% of the total gas tax paid. [10] I hardly see those who rally against cyclists using roadways because they don’t pay a “gas tax” telling the fire department to “get off the road” because they don’t pay a fuel tax.

Most of the Seattle roadway funding comes from the General Fund. [7] Transportation receives 5% of this fund which is collected from commercial parking taxes, employee hours tax, grants, local fees, property taxes (~37.8% of total property taxes go to cities/towns, counties, and “other” which includes the General Fund) [8], some federal funding and levies like the Bridging the Gap levy [7] that was passed by Seattle voters in 2006 which includes a mandate that requires at least 18% of the levy funds be spent on pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.

75% of WA State roadways are paid for by state and federal gas taxes (of which it’s been established that not all of the federal gas tax is funded solely by a direct gas tax) and the rest from vehicle license fees, bonds and ferry fares, and other funding sources [4] [11]. Highways are funded at about 57% by direct “user fees” or fuel taxes and vehicle licensing. [5] So how much roadways space is actually given to cyclists, considering that approximately 20%-30% of the direct funding of roadways and highways is funded by non-gas tax related taxes?*

The Seattle Sidewalks Initiative of March 2007 indicated that there was 3,946 miles of roadways within the Seattle city limits.** The 2009 Seattle Bicycle Master Plan lists a total of 67.6 miles of roadways with bicycle infrastructure (including 25.5 miles of bike lanes and 0.3 miles of Sharrowed “Shared Lane Pavement Markings” roadways); so the city officially allocates only 1.7% of the roadways to direct bicycle infrastructure and 0.65% for bicycle only use although 20%-30% of roadways are paid for by non-gas tax related sources.

Those who think that that they “pay for” the use of the roadway solely because they pay a license fee or gas tax are sorely mistaken. The average life of a roadway is 40 years and maintenance never ends once a roadway is constructed. [2] In order for a roadway to be truly paid for, revenues must meet the cost. The gas tax only pays for a small portion of the roadway and the true costs are subsidized by other taxes that come from a variety of sources.***

Long story short, unless a cyclist lives entirely “off the grid” paying no rent, no property or income tax, pays no sales tax, does not operate or pay for the use of anything that uses any type of fuel (airplane, ferry, chainsaw), that cyclist is helping pay everyone’s way.^

* While the federal government does not ban cyclists from using highways and freeways States can ban cyclists due to safety concerns. So although cyclists are paying for the construction and maintenance of highways and freeways, in many cases, those same cyclists cannot use them. 20%-30% is calculated by estimating that 25% of road construction and maintenance costs are collected from non-gas tax related “taxes and fees” and that approximately 33% of the federal gas tax funding distributed to the states comes from non-gas tax related sources.

**Note that the Seattle Sidewalk Initiative identified 598 miles of roadway, or 33% of all roadways within the Seattle city limits lack any sort of sidewalk. However there are actually 3,946 lane miles of 12-foot wide travel laned streets in Seattle city-wide [7]. I have not discussed pedestrian use of sidewalks in this analysis as it is concerned with the roadway as used by vehicles rather than pedestrian usage.

***With the deterioration of the roadways today, combined with the use of heavier vehicles (SUVs) and the use of more fuel efficient vehicles, including hybrids, the fuel taxes actually collected are decreasing. Alternative road funding sources are being sought after by States and Cities. Nationally, according to StateLine.org, in 2006 alone, gas tax revenues were predicted to fall short by $1 trillion. [4] [7] [12] [13] [14][16]. WADOT recognizes the budgeting shortfalls due to the current economy as well. [15]

^”Since most communities have well-developed roadway systems that easily satisfy basic access, the need to increase roadway capacity usually results from motor vehicles’ relatively large space requirements. Even pedestrian and bicycle facility costs could be charged to driving if motor vehicle traffic is considered to degrade bicycling and walking environments, creating the need for separate facilities. This implies that most current road expenditures are the responsibility of motor vehicle users.” [16]

This is a great little video explaining the dance we do with traffic, for our safety and for theirs. As cyclists, we need to take the lead.

Bicycling in traffic is a dance you lead from Keri Caffrey on Vimeo.

Thanks to Keri Caffrey over at Commute Orlando for making this excellent video.

Don’t try this at home. 9am in Ballard. Shilshole Ave. Heading southeast. How many ways are there to crash?

Take a look for yourself. The pavement is so rotten that it turned my camera off mid-ride.

There are between 2,000 to 4,000 cyclists in Seattle on any given day. I think. Depending on what count I look at. How do we get a consistent, accurate count of cyclists in a city? This is essential in order to understand where cyclists are riding from, what the destinations are, what infrastructure is needed to support them, what maintenance needs to be done and how to get more people cycling.

Right now there is little consistency between count locations from year to year (if the counts are even conducted on a yearly basis). Perhaps one group needs to step up – SDOT I’m looking at you – and conduct multiple counts per year, say spring, summer, winter and fall. Consistent locations need to be chosen in areas that cyclists use which may include multiple locations in areas with challenging terrain.  We need better volunteer outreach which starts by giving volunteers enough lead time to arrange schedules and the count organizers should contact local community news sources to promote the need for volunteers. And finally, bike count reports and charts should be complete, easily searchable and located in one place. SDOT should also post historical bike counts on the site, not just the most recent count.
 If the Bicycle Master Plan implementation is to continue, shouldn’t we really know exactly how many cyclists travel the streets?

2009 SDOT Downtown Count:   http://www.seattle.gov/Transportation/bikeinfo.htm

2008 & 2009 WSDOT Bicycle & Pedestrian Documentation Reports: http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/bike/count.htm

We apologize if you were redirected to spam sites earlier today.

We were hit by a wordpress virus.  It appeared to just redirect visitors to spam sites, as opposed to the type of virus that actively tries to infect your computer.  We fixed it as soon as we were alerted of the problem.  We are also looking at ways to further secure our configuration. 

Thank you to the wonderful City of Seattle employees who read this blog and alerted us.

We like cars, they are flashy, have powerful engines, and are a sex symbol, but so often they betray us.  They are the hare in the childhood fable.

I’ve been counting how many cars pass me and how many cars I catch up and pass while riding along the Shilshole section of the Burke Gilman Trail Missing Link.  In the 0.6 miles along Shilshole between 17th Ave and 24th Ave, I ride my bicycle against my normal habit to the right of the lane edge so cars can freely pass me. 

As I get near to 24th, I always pass a stack of cars queued up at the stoplight.  The last 4 times I counted, the counts were:

8 cars passed me, I passed 20

12 cars passed me, I passed 25

6 cars passed me, I passed 11

5 cars passed me, I passed 15

These counts were made between 5pm and 6pm on weekdays.  I was traveling between 14 MPH and 16 MPH.

So, remind me again, why isn’t there a 3-way stop sign at 17th? Why is the speed limit above 15 MPH?  Traffic would flow so much smoother if we all just slowed down.

On the bicycle, I am the tortise winning the race in competition with the car driving hares.

It is easy to speculate and get it wrong.  On Tuesday a bicycle hit the rear side panel of a police car on Jackson.

It sounds like the police officer made a left hand turn across oncoming traffic (the bicycle) and passed through the right of way of the bicycle too closely for the bicycle to stop.  The mitigating factor is that a stalled van in the middle of the road was blocking visibility.

We hope that for full transparency the police report on this incident will be shared with the public.  Already the talkback forums on news sites are full of anti-cycling venom.  Let’s make it clear, either way, who was at fault and why.

It is reassuring to hear that the driver of the police car was unharmed.  Those bicycles can cause a lot of damage.  For evidence, just see the dent in the back of the police car.

Okay, this particular pothole only cost the bicycle owner $150, but Soma is generous and he is still without his vehicle for a good deal of time. I’ve broken two frames, one purchased from Craigslist wasn’t covered, the other took two months to ship to the manufacturer in Italy and get a replacement. Now I own a primary bike and a backup bike.

In Jonathan’s case, this pothole broke his frame.  At the time that he crashed, it was covered with water and looked like just a puddle on top of the pavement, not a deep pothole.

His frame was left broken in at least two places:

Find his photos here and his description of the crash on BikeWise.

How upset would you be if you totaled your car in a pothole?

Could you imagine what we’d be saying now if Jonathan hadn’t been wearing his helmet? He hit is head so hard that his helmet cracked, so he would have either died or been in critical condition in the hospital right now. 

Would the city be facing a lawsuit over a pothole?

How would the lawsuit be colored by the fact that this is on an official bicycle route and adjacent to the most used trail in the region?

Seattle, please keep repairing the pavement.  It can be a killer.

Cyclists, use extreme caution around puddles.  We often can’t tell how deep they are.

2009 was a bad year for bicycle fatalities, which is one of the reasons why bicycle advocacy groups are pushing for a vulnerable user law, but for as bad as any year is for bicycle fatalities, it is worse for pedestrians.

In January of 2010, Seattle saw four police reported vehicle collisions that injured pedestrians.  One of those caused a pedestrian fatality.  January saw no cyclist vs. car crashes reported on the SPD Blotter Blog

2010/01/29 Pedestrian vs. vehicle fatality collision onaurora
2010/01/25 Vehicle vs. pedestrian collision in north seattle
2010/01/14 Vehicle vs. pedestrian collision on highway 99/
2010/01/12 Car vs. pedestrian collision in west seattle

That is just the police-view of the world.  Most crashes don’t get police reports.  These statistics don’t include all of the crashes that police don’t respond to.  BikeWise lists two self-reported motor vehicle vs. bicycle crashes in January.  This is why we would like to see lower speed limits, pass a vulnerable user law, expand BikeWise to collect pedestrian crash statistics too, and increase driver license test requirements and require re-testing when renewing licenses.

Last year in Seattle alone we saw 4 cyclist fatalities.
Our list of fatalities in Seattle.

The details on the bill are here:
http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?year=2009&bill=5838

The edits can be hard to follow.  Here is what it would do in the 2010 version.

We really want this to pass. Tune in. Write. Show up in person. Call. Watch the coverage and give your representatives feedback.

Live coverage of the state senate judicial committee will be available on TV Washington:
http://www.tvw.org/Media/LiveTv.cfm?bhcp=1

Are we delaying because this could be us behind the wheel of the car? Last year this was proposed as a felony. This year it is proposed as a larger fine, community service, requires completion of a traffic safety course, and requires appearance in court. If I was responsible, even accidentally, for the death of someone, I would want this and more. The guilt of anything less would be horrible.

We all need this.

The Pugent Sound Regional Council (PSRC) has released their draft transportation plan for 2040

It is big, in PDF form it is 15 files and around 25 megabytes.

It is also worth reading and commenting on. The bicycle related pieces seem a bit thin for a 30 year plan.

“I didn’t see” are the three little words that car and truck drivers have used over and over to avoid being charged with anything more than a traffic fine when they kill a pedestrian or cyclist.

It is time to change that. We now have both Cascade Bicycle Club and Bicycle Alliance of Washington pushing the state legislature to adopt a law similar to the one that Oregon adopted last year.

Help Cascade in their effort to pass this legislation.

What SB 5838 does:
· Amends Negligent Driving 2, an infraction
· Imposes an additional $250 fine
· Requires court appearance
· Requires completion of a traffic safety course
· Court can impose up to 200 hours of community service related to traffic safety
· If the traffic safety course and community service are not completed within a year, court can suspend driving privileges and impose fine of up to $5000

If you can, please go to Olympia next week and talk to your representatives in person and urge them to support this bill.

Cyclists, have you noticed numbers appearing all over the city along your cycling routes?

There is simple explanation. Seattle Public Utilities is doing an inventory of all of their items, like drain grates and man whole covers, along bicycling routes in Seattle.

Kudos to SPU for doing work to make cycling safer and for having at least one person doing the inventory from her bicycle.

When we do bicycle counts, one of the key indicators is the female/male mix.  When we generalize to large populations, on the whole women are more safety aware and risk adverse.  When bicycling feels risky, there is a low female to male ratio in bicycle counts.

Our friends over at http://www.totcycle.com have great resources for, and a nice network of, families who bicycle together.

Perhaps the next indicator species in our bicycle counts should be families.  We might be on the cusp of success in the neighborhoods where families feel comfortable bicycling together.  Take a few minutes to watch their slideshow of families in the Pacific Northwest who bicycle together.  They are an inspiration to us all!

Why We Ride | Totcycle & Friends from Totcycle on Vimeo.

Many people would like to inform an agency (government or otherwise) about an opinion or make a suggestion.  Many do not follow through because they put it off, or they are scared of doing it wrong.  While contacting an agency about your opinion is always good, making sure your opinion is taken seriously is of high importance.  Below are some tips about how to express your opinion in a thoughtful and reasoned manner.  An example is posted in the comments section.

-       Make sure you address your letter or email to the correct agency/agencies or person/s and that you have the spelling correct.

-       State why you are writing.  What specifically has you concerned?  Location?  Actions of others?  Damaged infrastructure?

-       Explain the problem that stems from the issue you see.  Give a logical explanation of why the particular area is a problem – if you have examples give them.  Provide pictures if at all possible that illustrate the problem area.

-       Respond quickly.  Waiting months after a problem is noticed can create more time before the issue is addressed or fixed.

-       Keep your letter or email short.  Stick to the point.  Try to keep it within several paragraphs if possible.  Don’t resort to name-calling or blame.  Be careful to suggest fixes that are possible like filling a hole or replacing a drain grate rather than complain generally about your entire bike route.

-       Use your real name and contact information if you are comfortable doing so.  Many agencies will respond to you for either a thank you or sometimes even to obtain more information.  Real-world experience is valued and some agencies are quite responsive.

-       Remember that your input can be invaluable for others.  If you see a problem, remember that you are likely not the only one. To create a better infrastructure for cyclists mandates good input from cyclists.

Research has shown for quite some time that speed limits and fatal crashes are linked.  What is new is that research now shows that 20 mph speed limits reduce fatal crashes and the change doesn’t move those fatalities to nearby streets with higher speed limits.

A recent study published in the British Medical Journal shows:

Results

The introduction of 20 mph zones was associated with a 41.9% reduction in road casualties, after adjustment for underlying time trends. The percentage reduction was greatest in younger children and greater for the category of killed or seriously injured casualties than for minor injuries. There was no evidence of casualty migration to areas adjacent to 20 mph zones, where casualties also fell slightly by an average of 8.0%.

Conclusions

20 mph zones are effective measures for reducing road injuries and deaths.

So, why are our residential speed limits so high on our residential streets in Seattle?

• The Vulnerable User Bill has been introduced! As reported by Publicola a bill has been introduced in this legislative session to increase penalties when motor vehicle crashes result from breaking the law an end up killing a more vulnerable user. Publicola has more on the wording of the bill and the chances.
• This legislation has good company with the Distracted Driving legislation that is also being discussed.

  http://www.votervoice.net/groups/driven
  
  http://www.nodistractions.org

• Our mayor bicycled to a press conference in addition to bicycling to work regularly.

  Mayor McGinn is showing that you can be a mayor and travel by bicycle. If only our former mayor could have gotten over his self image and embraced bicycling personally rather than just politically.

• The forest service is considering a new mountain bike park on Stevens Pass.

  The public comment period closes on Sunday. Learn about it here.

• King County Metro has decided to let bicycles on and off of busses in the downtown Seattle Ride Free area 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

• Cascade Bicycle Club’s RSVP, the Ride from Seattle to Vancouver Canada and Party two day event ride sold out, all 2000 entries, in the first 4 hours.  There is clearly some bicycling demand in the area.

It isn’t all good news

• The John Wayne Trail might get cut from the budget entirely.

  The Yakima Herald has coverage.

The battle over shared space between multiple users is a constant one.  Cyclists have been complaining to SDOT that the sharrows are too far to the right.  Maybe part of our complaint should be that cars are parked too far to the left.

When drivers park like this:

Rather than like this:

Cyclists using the lane are squeezed closer to opening doors and other traffic.

On occasion, I’ve even had cars parked 2-3 feet away from the curb, so far that I ended up riding between the car and the curb for a bit.

Of course, that isn’t the only problem.  The standards for parking lanes really only account for the width of the car, not the width of the car plus the door that opens.

Most states have some sort of Move Over laws, requiring vehicles to change lanes, move over, and/or slow down when passing a police officer on the side of the road.

For more information on the police movement, check out http://www.moveoveramerica.com/.  In most states, it gained momentum after a police officer was seriously injured in the line of duty by doing nothing more than standing on the side of the road as part of a traffic stop.  Washington State adopted this idea in 2005, with a $101 fine:  http://www.wsp.wa.gov/traveler/docs/laws/move_over_law.pdf

As legislation is introduced to make cell phone use and texting a primary offense and we wonder about other safety legislation, the question comes to mind, why are move over laws just for officers?  In most states, the bicycle laws are fairly regressive, push the cyclist out of the way and far to the right.  Washington is better than most with language of “as near to the right as is practicable”, but cyclists on most roads are still somewhat intimidated into riding on the shoulder or near the shoulder or the road.

Why shouldn’t motor vehicle drivers slow down when passing a cyclist?

Why shouldn’t motor vehicle drivers give as much passing distance, including changing lanes when practical, as possible when passing a cyclist?

If cyclists are operating on the side of the road at low speeds, just like police officers performing their job on the side of the road at a stop (with a patrol car and flashing lights to boot), shouldn’t we also give cyclists a safety buffer?